MANILA, Philippines – For many Filipinos, Labor Day is a significant holiday where the efforts and contributions of workers to the economy are recognized and celebrated. (READ: PH Labor Day: A history of struggle)
Even on the day dedicated to workers, some of them continued to work – a true sign of grit and commitment to their profession and to service.
Rappler went around different communities to ask workers what they find special about their jobs.
Scrub suit up
For registered nurse Bojo Suasa, saving lives goes beyond fancy capes and superpowers. It is in sacrificing leisure and personal enjoyment for others, who oftentimes are in life-and-death situations.
Provide for the family, serve the community
62-year-old Cedario Matidios, a farmer from Leyte, shared his love for his profession. Aside from supporting his household’s stable food supply, he likes how he can share his crops and provide for his community, as well.
For Esmeralda Nacanilao, a street sweeper for 8 years, being able to maintain cleanliness in Brgy. Sto. Domingo in Angeles City, Pampanga is what made her fall in love with the job.
Despite the small compensation, knowing she gets to help not only her family but also other families is enough to keep her going.
Meanwhile, for 60-year-old Lorenzo Tusan, ensuring the security of the people gives him a sense of fulfillment. Serving as a security guard for 29 years and counting, Tusan has dedicated his life to the job, even on holidays.
Faith in the future
True enough, construction work is one of the most strenuous and dangerous jobs out there. Working from the wee hours of the morning until late in the evening at the construction site, Randy Fuentes couldn't agree more.
When the going gets tough, Fuentes reminds himself that every drop of sweat in constructing a school is worth it, knowing students will be able to learn in the school he's helped to build – something the likes of them, he said, missed a chance at.
Builder for the urban poor
For many workers, the essence of Labor Day is to assert the rights of those in the labor force and empower them. But Labor Day protest participant Arvin Dimalanta dares to go beyond and shed light on both the struggles of the Filipino worker and the urban poor.
An architecture intern, Dimalanta shared his joy in helping amplify the voice of the urban poor. He joined the #MayoUno2019 protest as a volunteer of Save San Roque, an alliance against the demolition of the urban-poor community Sitio San Roque.
How about you? What do you love about your job? – Rappler.com